Bob Gainey, GM of the Montreal Canadiens, knows what it means to be a worker bee. First, he traded Christopher Higgens combined with the rights of another player and a first-round draft pick for Scott Gomez and his $7.3 million per year contract for the next five years.

Then he spends just about $107 million in signing Hal Gill, Jaroslav Spacek, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta in contracts ranging from two years to five years.

Signing Paul Mara to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal have not yet been released but it is estimated to be in the $1.9 million range.

"Paul Mara will bring size and experience to our group of defensemen. He can contribute to all facets of the game," Gainey said in a statement.

Paul Mara came off a less-than-impressive season last year. With 16 assists and five goals, his point production was capped at 21. In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Mara has a total of 239 points, 63 of which are goals.

Mara was considered to be a potential top two defenseman, as he went seventh overall in the 1997 NHL entry draft.